The future of Russia-India relations is sound, just ask the diplomats who know best — RT World News
Senior figures from both countries met to mark an important anniversary in bilateral relations and identify future possibilities.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the landmark agreement and Russian Diplomats Day on 10 February, RT reports from a bilateral event in which the growing scope of relations between Moscow and New Delhi has been discussed by the diplomats who were building the bridges.
The Russia-India relationship has perhaps never been as productive as it is today, despite the global geopolitical uncertainties. Moscow’s close ties with New Delhi have been established since Soviet times, and were later strengthened by the India-Russia Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, signed in January 1993 during the visit of President-elect. Russian President at the time, Boris Yeltsin, came to this Asian country.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the landmark agreement and the Russian Diplomats’ Day on 10 February, RT reports from a bilateral event during which the growing scope of relations between the countries was discussed. discussed by the diplomats themselves building the bridges.
‘Old horizon, new friends’
There are many stories about the ongoing Donbass conflict, which began on February 24 of last year, in which truth is the largest casualty.
This is the basic message in a group discussion called, “Next Steps in India-Russia Strategic Relations”held in New Delhi on Monday.
Russia’s Ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, a career diplomat and longtime Indian who took office early last year, was the keynote speaker at the event that delved into the theme of “old friends, horizons” new”. The context for the discussion was the ongoing geopolitical tensions highlighted by “Western Sanctions at Washington’s Order”.
Alipov, a close friend of the late Russian Ambassador Alexander Kadakin, a key figure in Russian-Indian relations, is fluent in Hindi – India’s official language – and also serves at the Russian Embassy as an ambassador. 23-year-old rookie diplomat during the signing of the landmark treaty in 1993.
The ambassador did not hesitate to accuse the United States of being “the most belligerent nation”, of erecting barriers to creating a multipolar world.
He admitted that “Strong bilateral relationship with India is under strain” late, due to the US crossing a red line in the Ukraine conflict.
Alipov believes that Russia’s bilateral relationship with India is of great significance because “national interests coincide and there is equality in international relations while respecting the tenets of the United Nations charter”.
oil diplomacy
The veteran diplomat pointed to an increase in India’s oil imports from Russia, which increased 36-fold, accounting for 25% of New Delhi’s total crude oil supply, and the expansion of bilateral trade to $30 billion driven by demand. exponential demand.
He added, India continues to be one of the largest importers of Russian fertilizer products while not succumbing to Western sanctions.
Alipov respects New Delhi’s “sovereign decisions” while advocating a dedicated payment system that can disrupt dollar transactions, an alternative shipping route, a new focus on infrastructure and energy projects in the Arctic – more than 50% of which are located on the territory of Russia. Federation – and North-South transport corridor.
He drew attention to the easing of Customs regulations and highlighted Russia’s core competencies in areas such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, metallurgy, shipbuilding, artificial intelligence (AI) and Quantum computing can support diverse startups.
‘Calibration propaganda’
Ambassador has pierced Washington’s hole “corrective propaganda” on Russia’s economic decline while also highlighting Moscow’s contributions to nuclear plants in Tamil Nadu, southern India and Rooppur, Bangladesh, the second of which is likely to be commissioned in Last year. He continued to criticize the United States for a “blitzkrieg bogus advertisement” highlight the assumption “poor performance of Russian weapons in Ukraine.”
Alipov said Moscow is committed to realizing New Delhi’s ambitions to become an Asian power – especially the “Make in India” campaign to support joint production of T-90 tanks and Sukhoi 30 fighter jets. MKI, AK-203 assault rifle and other weapons.
Russia is also helping India produce BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and supplying S-400 missile systems.
He points to Russia’s support in India’s ongoing space missions, such as the Gaganyaan project, which is expected to demonstrate human spaceflight by launching a crew of three members to orbit 400 km in three days and navigate space by cryogenic method.
The special envoy is optimistic that more Indian students will come to Russia to study at university. Currently, about 20,000 rides per year. The Ambassador also hoped that the New Education Policy of the Government of India (NEP) would facilitate Russian universities to establish campuses in India.
The special envoy also mentioned Moscow’s unwavering support for India in its bid to win a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which is already on New Delhi’s wish list. long ago, despite what Alipov called an America. “plot to create a divide and rule policy”.
New Delhi’s Coercion
Kanwar Sibal, India’s former foreign minister and ambassador to Russia from 2004 to 2007, weighed in on New Delhi’s pressures on China, which is close to Moscow, to maintain ties. “Common Enemy, America” in the Bay.
He said that the Ukraine conflict was “existence” for both Russia and the US while India’s diplomatic relationship was “up and down” with Moscow before it got involved with Washington.
Transnational Islamic Terror Threats
Pankaj Saran, who served as India’s ambassador to Russia from 2016 to 2018, said that although bilateral relations drifted during the Yeltsin years, the friendliness was revived after President Putin took office. rights in 2000.
He added that Central Asia, including Afghanistan, was key to India’s diplomatic outreach as New Delhi would have had a common border had it not been for the division of the subcontinent in 1947.
Saran has equated India’s predicament with extremist groups such as Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed with Russia’s problems with ISIS and Al-Qaeda, which are active in regions of the Middle East.
Cultural exchange
Former Indian ambassador, Smita Purushottam, founder of the Do Tank non-profit organization “SITARA” (Indigenous Science, Technology, and Advanced Research Accelerator), who grew up in Russia when the friendship treaty The landmark treaty signed with the former Soviet Union in 1971, highlighted how Russia’s mission in India could engage in cultural exchange activities.
Purushottam, who is fluent in Russian, calls on selected audiences to join in the joys of Russian theater – “probably, the best cultural exhibition in the world” – and the works of Mikhail Bulgakov, best known for her novels “The Master and Margarita”, and other representative literary works from her beloved country.
Manish Chand, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, “India Writing Network” magazine and “India and World” magazine moderated the session, which was held ahead of Russian Diplomats Day, to be held on Friday (February 10).
